Letter from Matilda Moldenhauer Brooks to Alva Morrison

anne Biological Lahoratorg
WOODS HOLE, MASSACHUSETTS
The Board of 'rrus tees ,
Mt · Hvlyoke College,
~t . ulyoke, ~ass .
c I o r •. e Pres ide n t of t he Board •
Dear Sir;
June 15,1936 ·
may I add my voice of protest to that of the others
against the appointment of a man as head of t . Hr lyoke College?
The education of women has progressed a long way from the time
when they were allowed to sit out of sight behind curtains to
listen to the words of wisdom which proceeded from the mouths
of men instructors, to the days of President •. • Carey Thomas
of Bryn awr College and President .looley of .111t. HJlyoke and
Ellen Pendleton of , ellesley1 who stood and stand for equal
opportunities for women . It seems to ~e that in this modern
age when t~ere are so many able women in this country, educated
and trained for leadership among not only women, but also men,
that it is a very curious reactionary decision on the part
of.those in power , to revert to the age-old custom of considering
a man as the only one able to head a group of women.
'rhe comment in one of the daily papers tnat there is
no reason why v.omen should not become une heads of men's colleges
seems GO me to be rather favtL.titous. Can you imagine Harvard,
for example , c hoos ng a. woman to nead it 11 hen women are not
allo'v'1ed to enter the medical school there? Perhaps in a thousand
years from now this may happen. But at present, it seems to ~e
thd.t women shoula keep their ains wnich they have so valiantly
fought for ;;~.nd that any other step backwards in the direct ion
of leadership by men over women sho~ld be discoL.tntenanced as a
reversion to prehistoric days.
Per naps if t :-.~ere were more Vi omen on the :aoard of rrus tees
this might not have happened. I am very sorry that the '.L'rustees
have taken this step.
Y)urs very truly,
'Jr; 1./:/Ptv 111 r-6~~ ~.
~atilda ~ laenhauer :arooks .

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anne Biological Lahoratorg
WOODS HOLE, MASSACHUSETTS
The Board of 'rrus tees ,
Mt · Hvlyoke College,
~t . ulyoke, ~ass .
c I o r •. e Pres ide n t of t he Board •
Dear Sir;
June 15,1936 ·
may I add my voice of protest to that of the others
against the appointment of a man as head of t . Hr lyoke College?
The education of women has progressed a long way from the time
when they were allowed to sit out of sight behind curtains to
listen to the words of wisdom which proceeded from the mouths
of men instructors, to the days of President •. • Carey Thomas
of Bryn awr College and President .looley of .111t. HJlyoke and
Ellen Pendleton of , ellesley1 who stood and stand for equal
opportunities for women . It seems to ~e that in this modern
age when t~ere are so many able women in this country, educated
and trained for leadership among not only women, but also men,
that it is a very curious reactionary decision on the part
of.those in power , to revert to the age-old custom of considering
a man as the only one able to head a group of women.
'rhe comment in one of the daily papers tnat there is
no reason why v.omen should not become une heads of men's colleges
seems GO me to be rather favtL.titous. Can you imagine Harvard,
for example , c hoos ng a. woman to nead it 11 hen women are not
allo'v'1ed to enter the medical school there? Perhaps in a thousand
years from now this may happen. But at present, it seems to ~e
thd.t women shoula keep their ains wnich they have so valiantly
fought for ;;~.nd that any other step backwards in the direct ion
of leadership by men over women sho~ld be discoL.tntenanced as a
reversion to prehistoric days.
Per naps if t :-.~ere were more Vi omen on the :aoard of rrus tees
this might not have happened. I am very sorry that the '.L'rustees
have taken this step.
Y)urs very truly,
'Jr; 1./:/Ptv 111 r-6~~ ~.
~atilda ~ laenhauer :arooks .